Clara Barton
1821–1912
North Oxford
Clara Barton grew up in North Oxford, Massachusetts, and became a teacher before finding a wider calling in relief work. During the Civil War she gathered supplies and cared for wounded soldiers, sometimes close to the fighting. Afterward she helped families learn what had happened to missing soldiers. Barton later learned about the international Red Cross movement and founded the American Red Cross in 1881. She also supported aid after peacetime disasters. Her work connected practical tasks, such as finding supplies and keeping records, with the larger goal of helping people in emergencies.
You can use your device’s reading tools or read with a partner.
Find a detail. Build an idea.
- What did this person or group do? Point to a detail in the reading.
- How can making art, teaching, or caring for others change a community?
- What would you like to find out next? Which kind of source could help?
“Clara Barton mattered because ___. A detail that supports my idea is ___.”
Grades 6–8: dig deeper
How can careful recordkeeping and organizing supplies be as important as bravery during an emergency?
Follow the evidence.
This short reading is an original classroom summary. Open the source with your teacher to check details and learn more.
Read the source: redcross.org ↗Ask: Who made this source? What can it tell us? What might it leave out?